While millions of people evacuated the coastline along the Indian Ocean following the 8.6 magnitude earthquake that shook northern Indonesia Wednesday, KFC Thailand insisted that they rush home and order a bucket of chicken.
Local authorities along the Indian Ocean rim braced for a disastrous tsunami, people fled for higher ground. According to the Associated Press, in an inopportune moment KFC posted on its Facebook page: “Let’s hurry home and follow the earthquake news. And don’t forget to order your favorite KFC menu.”
By the time tsunami warnings subsided, hundreds of people began lambasting the company on Thai web pages, prompting the immediate removal of the message. An apology replaced the post, asking for forgiveness for the error.
For many, Wednesday’s earthquakes served as a painful reminder of the devastating outcome of the Asian tsunami in 2004 that claimed 230,000 lives in the same region.